Future Now
The IFTF Blog
New game platforms enabling mobile exercise
One of the most popular categories of accessory for the Wii is travel bags. Like the Roomba iRobot, a significant fraction of Wii owners seem to travel with their games. Why? Leaving aside those who are networking their devices together in Wii LAN parties-- a very small number, since that functionality is pretty underdeveloped-- it seems that users travel with their Wiis because the devices are a big part of their exercise regimens. The Wii is also relatively small and light (about the size of a Tom Clancy techno-thriller), and weighs a couple pounds-- i.e., small enough to fit in a carry-on bag.
It'll be interesting to see whether this trend accelerates with the spread of wii fit, which is designed to be used daily, and offers a more structured exercise and fitness regimen.
More broadly, this may suggest the growth of personal, high-tech mobile health infrastructures. Business travelers and roaming students already carry their entire music collections, libraries of movies, and connections to friends in their laptops. Why not their exercise infrastructure, too?